Your Pet’s Dental Care
 WHY DENTAL CARE?
Dental care of dogs and cats is one of the most commonly overlooked areas of pet health care. In fact, a recent American Animal Hospital Association study showed that approximately two-thirds of pet owners do not provide the dental care that is recommended as essential by veterinarians. What’s more, the American Veterinary Dental Society reports that 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats show signs of oral disease by age three.
Dental disease doesn’t affect just the mouth. It can lead to more serious health problems including heart, lung and kidney disease, which makes it all the more important that you provide your pets with proper dental care from the start.
Your pet’s dental health isn’t just in the hands of your veterinarian though. As a pet owner, you play a pivotal role in helping ensure your pet’s dental health through regular home dental care.
Remember... pets can live longer, healthier lives if oral health care is managed and maintained throughout their lives. In fact, proper dental care may add as much as five years to your pet's life! Talk to your veterinarian about developing a dental care plan for your furry friend.
START YOUNG
Let's start with some basic information:
Dogs and cats are born with no teeth at all, but grow them in the first two or three weeks after birth. Kittens have 26 deciduous (baby) teeth, consisting of the incisors, canines, and premolars. The incisors first appear at 2 to 3 weeks of age followed by the canines at 3 to 4 weeks of age and the premolars around 5 to 6 weeks of age. The age when teeth start to appear can be influenced by breed, environment, nutrition, and season of the year. Kittens will start to lose their baby teeth when the permanent teeth begin to erupt, usually beginning around 3 to 4 months of age. By 7 months of age an adult set of 30 permanent teeth are fully developed.
Puppies have all 28 of their deciduous teeth by 6 to 8 weeks of age. The incisors start coming in at about 2 to 4 weeks of age along with the canine teeth, which erupt at about the same time. Premolars can be seen when the pup is around 6 weeks old. At about 3 to 4 months of age, puppies start to lose their baby teeth. Although there is some variation in breeds, most adult dogs have 42 adult teeth, with the molars coming last, at about six or seven months.
When your puppy or kitten first begins to get permanent teeth, check carefully to be sure the baby teeth come out as the new teeth come in. The roots of baby teeth should be absorbed as adult teeth erupt, but if this absorption is retarded, the baby tooth does not give way to the new tooth. Retained baby teeth can cause a bad bite - a malocclusion - that can lead to tooth decay and other problems later on. Retained teeth can also cause the permanent teeth to develop incorrectly. Some small breed dogs are at special risk for this problem. If a baby tooth does not fall out when the adult tooth grows in, it may need to be removed and your veterinarian can advise you if extraction is necessary.
Pets can develop gum disease, or gingivitis, before they are two years old. While hard foods and chew toys can help keep teeth clean, you need to get your pet accustomed to regular tooth brushing. As soon as you bring your new pet home, get it accustomed to having its mouth handled. This is good practice for animals that will be shown since judges check to be sure the pet has its full set of teeth. It is also good training because it teaches your pet to tolerate having things in its mouth without biting or snapping.
TEACHING ACCEPTANCE IS THE KEY TO SUCCESS
Brushing your pet's teeth should not be a chore for you or your pet. Instead, it should be an enjoyable time for both of you. Be upbeat and take things slowly. Do not overly restrain your pet and keep sessions short and positive. Be sure to use lots of praise throughout the process. Give yourself a pat on the back,
too! You are doing a great thing for your pet!
We recommend a simple technique for both younger and older animals, although it's easier to start brushing when your pet is young. To introduce a fearful Fido or timid Tabby to the idea of dental care, start slowly and gradually by letting them get used to you putting things in their mouth. Dip a finger into beef bouillon (for dogs) or tuna water (for cats). Call your pet with a voice that means "treat" and let them lick the liquid off your finger. Then gently rub your soaked finger along your pet's gums and teeth. The most important area to focus on is the gum line (the crevice where the gums meet the teeth), where bacteria and food mix to form plaque. Focusing on the gum line, start at the front of the mouth, then move to the back upper and lower teeth and gum areas. After a few sessions, as your pet gets accustomed to this, wrap your finger with gauze (you can, again, dip it in the tuna water or bouillon.) Gently rub the teeth in a circular motion with your gauzed finger. Repeat this for the number of sessions it takes your pet to feel comfortable with this procedure. Be sure to hold the gauze securely so your pet does not swallow it! Remember to praise her and keep an upbeat attitude.
When your four-legged friend can handle the gauze, try brushing with a toothbrush specially designed for pets or a very soft, ultra-sensitive toothbrush designed for people. Your pet will need to get used to the consistency of these items, especially the bristles on a brush, so let her lick something tasty off of the brush so she gets used to the texture.
AVAILABLE TYPES OF HOME CARE
Just as with your own teeth, nothing beats brushing. The fibers of the tooth brush are able to reach between teeth and under gums to pick out tiny deposits of food. A tooth brush acts as a tiny scrub brush for the closest possible cleaning. Notice the shape of the canine and feline brushes and how they conform to a pet's mouth. You can use a human tooth brush but you will probably find it difficult to manipulate in the pet's mouth. Another option is the finger toothbrush that fits over the tip of your finger. Some pets will not allow any one to actually touch their teeth. For these pets there is dental spray which can be sprayed into the mouth as an anti-plaque wash. As noted above, the spray can be applied to a tissue or cloth and rubbed on the teeth as well. Some cats will not allow anyone to reach into their mouths for any reason and will not tolerate brushing, spraying, rinsing or any other home care. For these animals dental treats represent an excellent method of dental home care. Feline dental treats are freeze dried fish pieces specially treated with enzymatic dentrifice to help remove plaque. We recommend a treat daily for routine home care.
Home care can be improved by feeding your pet an unmoistened dry pet food and offering him hard biscuits after each meal. Both dry food and hard biscuits produce abrasion which can help keep plaque to a minimum on the crown of each tooth. But they are not by themselves the total solution. Realizing the difficulties involved in dental home care, some pet food companies have created diets designed to dissolve calculus off of teeth.
Don't consider dental home care as an alternative to full dental cleaning if your pet has more advanced dental disease. Monitor the progress of your pets’ preventative programs with regular dental checkups. These checkups are essential, just as twice-a-year checkups are important for people. For pets that form tartar quickly or those with a history of oral problems, frequent examinations and cleanings may be advised. If you have any further questions about dental home care products, do not hesitate to contact our office.
The bristles should be held at a 45-degree angle to the tooth surface and be moved in an oval motion. Gradually add special dog/cat toothpaste (flavored with meat or fish), but never use people toothpaste or baking soda, as both can upset your pet's stomach. Talk to your dog in a happy voice during the process and praise your dog at the end. At first, you may just want to brush one or both upper canine teeth (the large ones in the front of the mouth). These are the easiest teeth for you to get at and will give you some easier practice. When your pet accepts having several teeth brushed, slowly increase the number of teeth you are brushing. Again, by making it appear to be a game, you both will have fun doing it.
PROFESSIONAL DENTAL CLEANING
When your pet is admitted to the hospital for a dental cleaning, it is usually after a recent physical exam that indicated that your pet had some level of periodontal disease, plaque accumulation or gingivitis. Studies have shown that 85% of all dogs and cats over one year old have some degree of periodontal disease. Imagine what our mouths would look like if we never brushed!!
Your pet is then handled by our technicians who obtain pre-anesthetic bloodwork. This gives the veterinarian an idea of your pet's liver and kidney function and screens for other blood disorders. The bloodwork also helps the veterinarian choose the appropriate anesthetic protocol and helps us assess how well your pet will metabolize the anesthesia.
Once your pet has been cleared for surgery, he or she will be placed on intravenous (in the vein) fluids and then given an injection of anesthetic, and drifts off to sleep. A tube is placed in the trachea to assist with breathing, and the plane of anesthesia is maintained via gas through that same tube. Your pet is monitored at all times by a licensed veterinary technician.
The supragingival (above the gumline) plaque and tartar are removed using special calculus forceps, hand instruments, and power scaling equipment. We examine individual teeth for mobility, fractures, malocclusion, and periodontal disease (probe for pocket depths after calculus is removed). Special curettes are used to probe the subgingival (below the gumline) spaces as well as to remove any deposits.
Regardless of how careful we are during the scaling/curettage phase of teeth cleaning, minor defects of the tooth surface occur. Polishing smoothes out the defects and removes plaque missed during previous steps. Pumice or polishing paste is used on a polishing cup for the procedure. Any excess paste or debris is flushed away when the teeth are rinsed.
After completion of the procedure, the pet is moved to recovery and monitored as he or she regains consciousness. Antibiotics and pain medications are administered and IV fluids are maintained throughout the recovery process. In general, one night in the hospital is required to ensure the recovery process goes smoothly and the veterinarian can recheck your pet’s mouth after recovery.
Plaque is constantly being made and deposited in the mouth. Humans have a buildup of plaque in the morning, which makes our breath smell bad. Proper home care can keep plaque buildup under control. The goal of dental home care is to remove plaque from tooth surfaces and gingival sulci before it mineralizes into calculus, a process that occurs within days of a teeth cleaning. Success depends on the owner's ability to brush the teeth daily, as well as the dog or cat's acceptance of the process. True oral cleanliness can best be achieved through the mechanical action of toothbrush bristles above and below the gingiva.
Home care is best started at a young age before the adult teeth erupt. The perfect time to introduce dental home care is at the first puppy or kitten visit. The client-animal bond as well as the client-veterinary bond is enhanced when daily brushing is performed following instructions given at the animal hospital.
Clients often ask, "Doesn’t feeding hard food keep teeth clean?" Some believe when their dog or cat chews on hard food or biscuits, mineral deposits are broken down and the teeth stay clean. This is not entirely true. True, animals on soft diets accumulate plaque more readily than those on dry foods, but the best way to keep teeth clean above and below the gum line is by daily brushing. The pet owner is an integral part of our dental team. Home care is the single most important procedure the owner can do to maintain oral health. If performed regularly, daily brushing will dramatically increase the interval between teeth cleaning appointments.
| 
Processing ....